Adjacent Words

Prattle definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PRAT'TLE, v.i. [dim. of prate.] To talk much and idly; to be loquacious on trifling subjects.
This word is particularly applied to the talk of children.
PRAT'TLE, n. Trifling talk; loquacity on trivial subjects.
Mere prattle without practice,
Is all his soldiership.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: idle or foolish and irrelevant talk [syn: prate, prattle, idle talk, blether, chin music] v
1: speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly [syn: chatter, piffle, palaver, prate, tittle- tattle, twaddle, clack, maunder, prattle, blab, gibber, tattle, blabber, gabble]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (prattled; prattling) Etymology: Low German pratelen; akin to Middle Dutch praten to prate Date: 1532 intransitive verb 1. prate 2. to utter or make meaningless sounds suggestive of the chatter of children ; babble transitive verb to say in an unaffected or childish manner • prattler noun • prattlingly adverb II. noun Date: 1555 1. trifling or empty talk 2. a sound that is meaningless, repetitive, and suggestive of the chatter of children

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v.intr. & tr. chatter or say in a childish way. --n. 1 childish chatter. 2 inconsequential talk. Derivatives: prattler n. prattling adj. Etymology: MLG pratelen (as PRATE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prattle Prat"tle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Prattled; p. pr. & vb. n. Prattling.] [Freq. of prate.] To talk much and idly; to prate; hence, to talk lightly and artlessly, like a child; to utter child's talk.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prattle Prat"tle, v. t. To utter as prattle; to babble; as, to prattle treason. --Addison.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prattle Prat"tle, n. Trifling or childish tattle; empty talk; loquacity on trivial subjects; prate; babble. Mere prattle, without practice. --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(prattles, prattling, prattled) If you say that someone prattles on about something, you are criticizing them because they are talking a great deal without saying anything important. (INFORMAL) Lou prattled on about various trivialities till I wanted to scream... She prattled on as she drove out to the Highway... Archie, shut up. You're prattling. = witter VERB: V on/away about n, V on/away, V [disapproval] • Prattle is also a noun. What a bore it was to listen to the woman's prattle!

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. See prate. II. n. See prate.

Moby Thesaurus

absurdity, accents, amphigory, babble, babblement, babbling, balderdash, bavardage, be closeted with, bibble-babble, blab, blabber, blah-blah, blather, blathering, blether, blethers, blither, bombast, bull, bullshit, bunk, bunkum, cackle, caquet, caqueterie, chat, chatter, chattering, chitter-chatter, clack, claptrap, clatter, comment, conversation, coze, crap, discourse, dither, double-talk, drivel, drool, elocution, fiddle-faddle, fiddledeedee, flapdoodle, flummery, folderol, foolishness, fudge, fustian, gab, gabber, gabble, gabbling, galimatias, gam, gammon, garbage, gas, gibber, gibbering, gibberish, gibble-gabble, go on, gobbledygook, going on, gossip, guff, gush, haver, hocus-pocus, hogwash, hooey, hot air, humbug, idle talk, jabber, jabbering, jabberwocky, jargon, jaw, jawing, language, make conversation, maunder, maundering, mere talk, moonshine, mumbo jumbo, mumbo-jumbo, narrishkeit, natter, niaiserie, nonsense, nonsense talk, oral communication, pack of nonsense, palaver, palavering, parole, patter, piffle, poppycock, pour forth, prate, prating, prittle-prattle, ramble on, rant, rapping, rattle, rattle on, reel off, rigamarole, rigmarole, rodomontade, rot, rubbish, run on, skimble-skamble, speaking, speech, spout, spout off, stuff and nonsense, stultiloquence, swill, talk, talk away, talk nonsense, talk on, talkee-talkee, talking, tattle, tete-a-tete, tittle-tattle, trash, trumpery, twaddle, twattle, twiddle-twaddle, twitter, vapor, vaporing, visit, waffle, waffling, words, yak, yakkety-yak, yakking